Chusetts



2 T HE m MM Wm HR w m h M (No Model.)

Patented Deq. 19, 1893.

IHII

(No Model.) 28heets'-Sheet 2.

M; G. 8v H.- W. MERRITT.

TYPE 'WEITING MAGHINE.

N0..'511,305. Patented Dec.- 19, 1893,

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MORTIMER G. MERRIT'I AND HENRY W. INIERRITT, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSA-CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE MERRITT MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF SAME PLACE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHlNE.

'SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 51 1,305, datedDecember 19, 1893.

Application filed April 28, 1893. Serial No. 472,272. (No model.) A

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MORTIMER G. MERRITT and HENRY W. MERRITT, citizensof theUnited States, both residing at Springfield, in the county ofHampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in [o the paper guiding andfeeding devices of a typewriting machine, portions of which are, or maybe, rendered available for properly supporting and guiding narrow sheetsof paper, envelopes, or postal cards, other portions r 5 thereof beingconstructed with reference to an unusually eflicient, simple, andpractical mounting, yieldingly, of the roll which lies along and bearsagainst the platen whereby such roll may be held, as to either endportion thereof, with any desired degree of spring force against theplaten.

The invention furthermore relates to improvements comprised in themedium of connection between the key-levers and respect a 5 ivetype-bars by means ofwhich the unduly. hard impact by the typebaragainst the platen, on the striking of a key, may be avoided withconsequently a more agreeable feeling or touch at the key-board. And tothese 0 ends the invention consists in constructions and combinations ofparts, all substantially as will hereinafter be made manifest andcovered in and by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a 3 5 plan view of a part of atypewriting machine, the same more especially comprising the platen,platen-frame and its carriage, and indications of the novel devicespertaining to the paper-feed. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation from frontto rear of the machine showing the various improved devices. Fig. 3 is aperspective view showing the paper-table and the details of constructionof the springpressed support for the paper bearing roll which liesalongside the platen. Fig. 4 1s a perspective view of one of theyielding paperguiding fingers, which is understood as adjustablelongitudinally upon the front of the platen-frame. Fig. 5 is a plan viewof a desirable form of spring connection between the 5:: key-lever andtype-bar connecting-rod.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all ofthe views.

In the drawings, A represents the platen. In the machine, here partlyillustrated, the platen is mounted in the rectangular frame, B, which isremovably mounted in the carriage, G, that is supported for endwiseslide, as usual. The invention is in nowise to be limited, however, tothe mounting of the platen in a secondary frame, as stated, because, sofar as the features of improved paper guiding and supporting devices areconcerned, they may be as Well combined with the platen which is nonremovably mounted directly upon the carriage,'and therefore theterms,--platen-frame and carriage may be regarded as synonymous orinterchange ablerto all intents and purposes so far as this invention isconcerned. The platen-frame has at its front the two or morespring-fingers, a, which are fixedly supported, and whichare locatedwell within the ends of the .platen curving downwardly thereunder, asshown and as usual. Near the end, or ends, one or both, of the frame,are the yielding fingers, b, b, which are adjustable longitudinally ofthe frame so as to have, each, its position as far from the end of theplaten as may be desirable to accord with the work in hand, So that is,if the paper, cards, or envelopes are wider or narrower, the fingers, b,are adjusted longitudinally accordingly,and' in Fig. 4 one of theadjustable yielding fingersis clearly shown in perspective the samecomprising a strip of thin steel, or other suitable metal having itsupper extremity return-bent twice, as indicated at 10 and 12, wherebythe three laterally separated sections or leaves, 13, 14:, and 15, areconstituted, the latter being extended the farthest to constitute thefinger proper, b.

The U-like uniting portion for the leaves, 13 and 14., are adapted toembrace the under edge and inner and outer sides of the front- 5 bar ofthe platen-frame, while above the platen-frame, the bar or block, 16,has a connection with the leaf, 14:, (by being riveted to IO ment, thismeans of confinement being, of

course, readily detachable on the unloosening of the screw.

The rear longitudinal bar, (I, or member of the frame is preferablyconstituted by a round I 5 rod, substantially as indicated, and thepapertable, D, is, by the ear-pieces,f, hung upon this rod, d, wherebyit may have swinging movements forwardly and rearwardly against and awayfrom the platen, the rearward extent of its movement being indicated bythe full lines in Fig. 2, while its forward movement is indicated by thedotted lines in said figure, this position enabling the greater portionof the face of the paper-table to bear against the rear upperface-portion of the platen the major portion of the contour of thepaper-table being comprised in an arc corresponding to the peripheralpart of the platen.

Near both ends of the platen brackets or castings, G, are rigidlysecured, to and upon the aforesaid rod, d, the preferred form of thisbracket beingindicated in Fig. 3 wherein the same is shown to comprisethe opposing ears, 20, 20, which are drilled to tit upon the 5 aforesaidrod, and the upper uniting spansection, 22, having the further upwardlyextended lug, 23. The bracket or casting, G, is fixed upon the aforesaidrod by the set screw, 24. A11 arm, H, is hung upon the rod 0 toward eachend thereof each being between the ear-pieces of the aforesaid bracket,G, displacement longitudinally of the rod of these arms being preventedby said ear-pieces.

The bar or roller, J, which has bearing 5 against the rear under side ofthe platen, and

below the under edge of the paper-table, D, is mounted, preferablyrotatably, upon, and extends between, the aforesaid arms, H, H. Thedownwardly and forwardly extended 5o noses, 25, of these arms, 11, H,support the graduated plate or bar, h, which constitutes the usual scaleto lie along the platen.

The strips of thin spring metal, indicated at y, form the springs whichimpart the yielding pressure upon the arms, 11, H, to force them, andwith them the roller, J, against the platen. As shown, these springscomprise a bow-shaped leaf or section, 27, and the return-bent andshorter section, 28, which has its position somewhat in advance of thesaid bow-shaped section, 27, so that when this part, 28, is screwedfirmly to the upwardly extended lug of the bracket, G, the leaf, 28, inpassing first upwardly and rearwardly and then downwardly to its bearing upon the arm,

H, will have a suitable extent of separation from the rear face of thebracket, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2, so that as the screw, 30,-

which has its shank passed loosely through a perforation therefor in thespring and with a screw-engagement into the bracket, the head of thescrew lying against the rear side of the spring,-is turned, the tensionupon the spring may be increased or diminished.

In the construction of the paper feeding devices of the type-writingmachine great difficulty has been frequently experienced in securing auniform contact and bearing of the bar or roller, J, or the partcorresponding thereto against the platen so that the paper may be guidedstraight, but it will be apparent from the nature and construction ofthe means just described that each end-support for the roller, J, mayhave imparted thereto, just that amount of spring pressure as, in theadjustment of the devices will be found most efficient.

In the type-bar actuating mechanism we provide a medium of connectionbetween the key-lever and type-bar a portion of which is comprised in aspring which is unyielding up to a given stress or impact impartedthereagainst directly through the key-lever, or conversely through thetype-bar after its impact, but which yields as such stress is exceededwhereby the hard feeling or touch at the keyboard is avoided. In Figs. 2and 5 a form of the spring device comprised in the connection betweenthe key and type-bar is shown and will be now described in detail.

It will be seen that the key-lever,K,has intermediately and at oppositesides thereof the studs or trunnions, 7a. The spring device is indicatedat M, and consists of a single piece of spring wire intermediatelyreturnbent, as indicated at 85, the terminal members, 36, 36,bein gextended approximately in parallelism comprising each the intermediatecoil, 37; and the coil-provided portions, 36, lie at either side of thekey-lever, the coils engaging the studs, 70, 7c, and the part at 35,uniting the portions 36, lying across the upper edge of the key-lever,while the extremities, 38, 38, of this spring wire device are extendedinto engagement with the perforated lower end of the connecting-rod, m,the upper end of which has connection directly or mediately with thetype-bar, m. Now, as the key-lever, K, is depressed by the action of thefinger upon the key, K the spring device, M, serves as an unyieldingportionof the medium of connection until the type is brought against theplaten with a force exceeding the potentiality of the spring device,whereupon the latter yields for relief to the touch.

Having thus described our invention, what we clairn,and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is---- 1. In a typewriting machine, the combina tionwith the platen and a supporting frame therefor, of a yielding fingercomprising the doubly return-bent strip with the leaves, 13, 14:, and15, the latter being suitably extended to form the fingerproper and theintermediate one, 14, havingthe ledge or rest, 16, and the confiningscrew, 17, substantially as de scribed and shown and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the platen and theplaten-frame comprising the rod, d, the arms, H, H, pivotally hung uponsaid rod to swing toward and from the platen and carrying the roller, J,the brackets, G, G, each comprising the perforated and separatedear'lugs, 20, 20, having fixed supporting engagements with said rod andcomprising the span-section, 22, and the lug, 23, the springs, j, j,each of which consists of the strip having the section, 28, which issecured to the bracket lug, 23, and which has to the rear thereof thedownwardly extended section, 27, in spring-bearing against the arm, H,and the screw, 30, the shank of which passes loosely through thespring-section, 27, and with a screw-engagement into the bracket,--thehead thereof engagingthe face of the said springsection,27,-al1substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the type-bar andconnecting-rod engaged therewith of the key-lever having the studs, k,k, and the spring device, M, comprising the side sections, 36, 36, eachof which has a portion thereof formed by a coil, 37, and theintermediate uniting section, 35, the said coils embracing the saidstuds and said section, 35,

lying across the upper edgeof the key-lever,

and the terminals of the spring-device having engagements with theconnecting-rod, substantially as described and for the purpose setforth.

MORTIMER G. ,MERRITT. HENRY W. MERRITT. Witnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, K. I. OLEMoNs.

